1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dictation systems and more particularly to a dictation system in which dictation is recorded on a recording medium as the recording medium moves relative to a recording head and in which the undetected failure of the recording medium to move relative to the recording head or failure of the recording head to be operative to record the dictation on the recording medium would render the dictation system inoperative for the recording of dictation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In dictation systems in which dictation is recorded on a recording medium as the recording medium moves relative to a recording head, it is known in the prior art to provide a signal when the recording medium fails to move relative to the recording head while the dictation system is being operated in the recording mode of operation. The absence of recording medium movement relative to the recording head while the dictation system is in the recording mode of operation may be caused by either the recording medium becoming broken or by a mechanical or electrical malfunction of the device by which a recording medium is moved relative to the recording head. In any event, the signal provided informs the user of the dictation system that dictation which the user intends to be recorded in not being recorded.
A problem with many of these prior art dictation systems is that dictation which is intended to be recorded may not be recorded for reasons other than the failure of the recording medium to move relative to the recording head. For example, the microphone, the amplifier, or other elements in the circuit by which the recording head is powered may become inoperative to record dictation even though the recording medium is still moving relative to the recording head. On the other hand, this circuit may become only partially inoperative, but the quality of the dictation as recorded on the recording medium may be so poor as to make it difficult or substantially impossible for the dictation to be subsequently transcribed from the recording medium.
A similar problem is encountered when the user of a dictation system speaks too softly or places the microphone in a position which diminishes the quality of the audio input to the microphone. Moreover, even in the absence of this problem and even though there is motion of the recording medium relative to the recording head, the dictation which the user of the dictation-transcription system intends to record may be difficult or substantially impossible to transcribe if the rate of motion of the recording medium relative to the recording head varies erratically during the recording of the dictation because of the improper operation of the device which moves the recording medium relative to the recording head.